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Optimizing Certainty and the Detection Limit: Signal-to-Noise Ratio

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Auger- and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy in Materials Science

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Surface Sciences ((SSSUR,volume 49))

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Abstract

Sensitivity, detection limit, and uncertainty are essential characteristic figures of any analytical method. They are ultimately limited by the signal-to-noise (S ∕ N) ratio. For a given analytical task, the art of the analyst is to find the appropriate, optimum signal-to-noise (S ∕ N) ratio within instrumental limits. Because of its importance and dependence on many parameters in AES and XPS, the S ∕ N ratio is considered in detail in the following.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institute for Intelligent Systems (formerly Max-Planck-Institute for Metals Research), Heisenbergstrasse 3, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany

    Professor Dr. Siegfried Hofmann

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  1. Professor Dr. Siegfried Hofmann
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Correspondence to Siegfried Hofmann .

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Hofmann, S. (2013). Optimizing Certainty and the Detection Limit: Signal-to-Noise Ratio. In: Auger- and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy in Materials Science. Springer Series in Surface Sciences, vol 49. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27381-0_6

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